Sunday, May 17, 2015

Terrific coffee in the Bedok Heartlands at Percolate.

Percolate (Cafe) is a bit of a misnomer. Actually a lot of a misnomer, since to percolate coffee is to let gravity drip through ground coffee beans - not unlike how drip coffee is brewed - but Percolate's coffees are mostly Espressos. It occupies two lots in a decidedly non-hipster row of shophouses a little behind the Bedok Sports Complex.

Decor is no-frills and the menu is limited - but prices are very reasonable and there's no GST or service charge. If you're used to having a favorite 'type' of espresso-based coffee i.e. latte, flat white, cappuccino, etc you might be a bit disappointed - Percolate only gives you a choice of size (3oz or 5oz) and whether you want your coffee black, white (with milk) or mocha (with chocolate).

Rest assured, though, that the coffee is excellent - served at just the right temperature, with a spot on balance of coffee intensity and the right hints of sour, bitter and a bit of sweet thrown in for good measure. Nice cream from the milk, too! $4 for 3oz and $4.50 for 5oz.

One day, I will learn how to appreciate black espresso. But not today.

The food offerings are a little spartan, with a handful of choices of cake, pastry and croissant sandwiches - no big breakfast with a plateful of sausages and bacon here. We tried the Curry Egg Mayo ($7) and Smoked Salmon Wasabi Cream Cheese ($9). Both were delicious, with the curry and wasabi adding a pleasantly spicy dimension, but the amount of egg/salmon in the croissants was perhaps a little on the low side.

Having wolfed down the croissants we try one of their speciality desserts - the Bittersweet (a shot of espresso over vanilla ice cream over a dark chocolate brownie, $7). It's deliciously great - we definitely see ourselves coming back to order this again.

Many cafes (particularly those marketing to the brunch crowd) focus on the food, with the coffee playing a supporting actor role. Percolate is exactly the opposite - the coffee here is the focus, the star, and the food options are there just so you can fill up your stomach afterwards. We definitely see ourselves coming back here regularly though - partly because it's walking distance from our place, partly because ~$15/person is a refreshing change of pace (at some cafes you can hit $50 a person), but mostly because the coffee really is superb.

Percolate is located at 136 Bedok North Avenue 3 #01-152B, Singapore 460136, closed on Tuesdays.